Trump, O'Rourke trade blows in rival Texas rallies

U.S. President Donald Trump and Beto O'Rourke, the former Democratic congressman considering a White House run, blasted each other during dueling rallies in El Paso, Texas.

Rough cut - no reporter narration.

Trump, O'Rourke trade blows in rival Texas rallies

(ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION) Beto O'Rourke, the former Democratic congressman considering a White House run, blasted President Donald Trump's fight for a border wall on Monday (February 11) as the two held dueling rallies in El Paso, Texas.

O'Rourke, who narrowly lost a 2018 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, accused Trump of stoking "false fear" about immigrants and telling "lies" about his hometown El Paso, which Trump said was a dangerous place before it had a border fence.

"All of us together are going to make our stand here in one of the safest cities in the United States of America, safe not because of walls but in spite of walls," O'Rourke told a crowd of several thousand supporters, many waving "Beto 2020" signs and wearing "Immigrants Make America Great" baseball caps.

Meanwhile, at his own rally with supporters, President Trump referred to O'Rourke as a young man who had lost to Ted Cruz and had nothing going for him but "a great first name".

Trump is in El Paso to argue for a wall he says can protect Americans from violent criminals, drugs and a "tremendous onslaught" of migrant caravans.

The rally was due to be his first direct clash with a potential 2020 rival, albeit on separate stages in venues about 200 yards apart.